Shatter Me: The New Republic Book 3: Escape Me by Tahereh Mafi

 

Shatter Me: The New Republic Book 3

The scorching third volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

James Anderson needs a new plan. He’s ready to make real moves to destroy the looming threats against their world, but no one is taking him seriously. James is tired of being underestimated by his own family. He wants five uninterrupted minutes alone with Rosabelle. He wants to kill Sebastian.

And he’s done waiting for permission.

Rosabelle Wolff needs to stick to the plan. Which means she needs to stay away from James and the dangerous feelings he brings out in her. When she’s near him she loses control, and she’ll need absolute control if she has any hope of convincing Sebastian—and through him, Klaus—that she’s still carrying out the original plan to destroy the rebel regime.

In the meantime, Warner needs to stay out of her business.

Aaron Warner Anderson is trying not to kill Rosabelle. They might be reluctant allies, but that doesn’t mean they get along. Every day is a new kind of hell for Warner. He’s worried about his wife; he’s worried about his world. He can’t decide what to do about James until he understands Rosabelle’s true motives—and when he’s finally delivered the answers he needs, the stakes prove astronomical. All roads lead to heartbreak and destruction, no matter what choice he makes.

Gut-wrenching discoveries, blistering romance, non-stop explosive action, and a world determined to control their thoughts and actions:

When the eyes of the world are upon you, who do you hope is watching?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/245901675-escape-me

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Another crazy book in this series! First off, somehow I find myself picking it up and then not putting it down until I’m done. The pacing is so quick, it’s kinda crazy. But I love it. There is so much going on and of course we get a cliffhanger that leaves you craving for the next one! So what happens here? Well, we pick up shortly where the last book left off. Let’s start with James. He is cranky. Because no one will let him see Rosabelle, especially Rosabelle herself. He knows she has a crazy plan. He knows it involves her psycho so-called fiancé, he knows it is gonna lead to her sacrificing herself. But will anyone listen to him? Nope. And he is done with no one listening. For Rosabelle, well James is on point. She knows what she has to do and knows she is the only one who can do it. But getting Warner to listen and agree? Yeah, that’s not happening. Meanwhile she knows they will get hit with something bad any day now. And for Warner, the poor guy is stressed with Ella’s pregnancy and the chaos that seems to be unraveling before him. And he is bout to be humbled when turns out James may have been right. Get ready for lots of chaos in this one! And we finally get that happy moment we’ve all been patiently waiting for when it comes to Warner and Ella! Really enjoying this series so far. I know we have another two books left and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next.

Forbidden Temptation By Lizzie C. Koz

 

Jacob

This year my life imploded.

Now I’m sleeping in my tiny office inside the university’s football complex because I have nowhere else to go.

Until my quarterback finds me passed out in the makeshift bed I’d made and offers me a room at his cabin.

I’m exhausted. I’m broke. I don’t have anywhere else to turn. And it’s not like there’s anything wrong with a coach staying with a player for a little while, right? Nothing inappropriate. Nothing crossing a line.

Except for the way Hayden looks at me sometimes.

Except for the moment I realize…I might be looking right back.

Hayden

I think I did something really, really stupid.

I invited my QB coach to live with me until he can find a place of his own.

You know, the guy I’ve had a massive crush on since I started playing football here my freshman year. The same man who has ruined every chance I’ve had at a relationship because no one else has ever measured up.

This was the year I was getting over him. But now he’s in my private space, walking around my cabin in nothing but his boxers, showing off that sexy chest tattoo like my little gay heart isn’t being put through torture right now.

I’m doing my best to hide my interest; the last thing I want is to expose my feelings and make things awkward as hell. And, I mean, I’m the star quarterback. I’m an expert at handling pressure on the field.

Apparently, what I can’t handle is living with the man I’ve wanted for years.

Especially after the night everything changes.

In the small town of Twisted Oak Valley, the fall season is holding on, but you’ll be cozy in this multi-author MM novella/short story length shared universe series. Forbidden Temptation is a steamy, emotional, and banter-filled coach x player college football romance where a bi-awakening collides with cabin-bound forced proximity to ignite a desire that is impossible to resist.

This novella is set in the Bridgeport Jetties universe, following Hiding in the Outfield, the story of Jacob’s younger brother, Jackson. It can be read as a standalone, but if you’re curious about his brother’s love story, you can follow Jackson’s own happily-ever-after in Hiding in the Outfield.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/245782442-forbidden-temptation

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Hayden has had a crush on his QB coach since he was a freshman in college. Four years of falling for this guy but knowing that nothing can happen. But when he finds Jake sleeping in his office and has no place to go, Hayden offers his extra bedroom. A mistake? Probably, but he is gonna do it anyway. But now he gets to see Jake all the time and keeping his attraction in check is going to be a major problem. What he doesn’t expect is for Jake to start looking back at him with the same heat in his eyes. Coach and a player can never date, even with Hayden being 22 and Jake 30. So what can really happen? Jake knows he hasn’t always been a good guy, but cutting off his toxic parents after they cut off his brother? He is done. He wants to be better. But falling for his player isn’t exactly a good thing. But Hayden makes him feel something he never has before. More than just the fact that Jake is realizing he is into guys too. But being together is a risky game. Can they find a way? After reading Jake’s brother’s story, I was happy to see Jake getting his own. This novella was a fun read! These two had a great dynamic and we had a some great cameos from Jackson, Jake’s brother, and Frankie, Jackson’s boyfriend. I also loved that these two had a chance to really get to know one another more when they became roommates rather than just coach and player. It gave them a chance to develop real feelings. Great story all around!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lakeshore Medical Book 1: Faking the Fiancé by CG Macington

 

Lakeshore Medical Book 1

He's brilliant, untouchable, and the nurses call him the Dread Prince.

Dr. Arjun Kapoor saves children's lives with surgical precision and the bedside manner of a Victorian ghost. He's also been hiding a devastating crush on his complete Dr. Casey Welling, six-foot-three of golden retriever chaos in dinosaur-print scrubs, who does magic tricks for crying kids and has been hopelessly in love with the Dread Prince for two years.

So when Arjun's mother announces she's arranged his engagement to a perfectly suitable surgeon from London, he panics. He tells her he's already engaged. To Casey. Who has absolutely no idea.

Now they have a two weeks at the Kapoor family estate in Rajasthan, fake dating in front of Arjun's terrifyingly powerful family. There are rules. A leather notebook of pre-approved pet names. One bed. (Obviously.) And a pillow wall that's already threatening to collapse.

The problem? Casey was never pretending. And somewhere between the scheming mother, the gossiping aunties, the dangerously charming rival who won't stop flirting with his fake fiancé, and the slow burn that's quickly becoming an inferno, Arjun is discovering the most terrifying thing a control freak can fall in love for real.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/255115899-faking-the-fianc

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Arjun knows what those at the hospital call him: Dread Prince. To everyone. He is a neuro doctor who is cold and has a terrible bedside manner. He doesn’t mean to be exactly, he is just used to wearing armor at all times. How else will he protect himself? How else can he explain things if he can’t use the medical jargon that is his safety net? But his armor cracks when he gets an unexpected phone call from his mother announcing that when he visits India in a few days, he will also be getting engaged to someone she picked out. In a panic, he tells her that he is already engaged. To who? The man he has been secretly in love with for two years. Casey. The ER children’s doctor who is a golden retriever and a ray of sunshine that everyone adores. And when Arjun comes to him for help to fake a relationship, he says yes. Because Arjun isn’t the only one who has been hiding his feelings. Casey has been in love with Arjun for two years. He sees what everyone else doesn’t when it comes to Arjun. And he would love a chance to show Arjun what they could be together. So he’ll come along and maybe he will finally get a chance to tell Arjun how he feels. And that this is the chance they’ve both been waiting for. Casey has been patient for a long time, he can remain so. So through a scheming mother, gossiping aunties, and many others who are at the ready to test them at every turn, it will take Arjun and Casey working together to make it through. And maybe by the end, they will finally get what the two of them always wanted and rightfully deserve. I loved this book!! It was exactly what I expected having read CG Macington’s St. Jude’s series. It’s funny and sweet and emotional and you are rooting for Arjun and Casey from the beginning. I loved our cast of characters and the humor. I loved watching Arjun and Casey grow together and finally be together after so much pining. I would love to see more from this series!

St. Jude’s Medical Book 4: The Twin Clause by CG Macington

 

St. Jude’s Medical Book 4

Two dedicated doctors. Two terrible role models. One sudden family to build before the paint is even dry on the nursery.

Dr. Preston York can de-escalate a panicked patient using nothing but his signature charm and the name of the man's dog. But getting his husband to discuss their future? That usually ends with one of them sleeping on the couch.

Dr. Luke Silva can run a trauma bay during a Code Blue without breaking a sweat. But ask the stoic attending about his estranged father, and watch him walk right out of the room.

One year into their marriage, the two physicians are finally hitting their professional stride. Life is good, even if they're sharing a Queens walk-up the size of a spice rack with a radiator that clanks in D minor at 3:00 AM. But it’s only four hundred square feet of good life, and something is going to have to give.

Then Preston's father calls with a surprise. In the York family, that word ranges from "delightful" to "federal subpoena" with nothing in between.

Suddenly, their tiny world is overflowing. Mama Ortiz has upgraded from asking about grandchildren to aggressively planting baby brochures in coat pockets. Luke's sister Elena just arrived fresh out of college with a CPA, two suitcases, and a life plan nobody voted on. Catherine York is plotting, and has entered into an unholy alliance with Mama Ortiz. And to top it all off, an unexpected face from Luke's past has reappeared, wearing the exact same grin he had the day he walked out.

Preston reads people for a living. Luke stitches them back together. But as they face impending fatherhood, neither man has a clue what to do. The men who were supposed to teach them how to be dads left them with nothing but a masterclass in what not to do.

They will figure out this sudden family thing. Loudly. Expensively. With at least one fainting incident, and a truly upsetting amount of Tupperware.

The Twin Clause is a hilarious and heartfelt MM medical romance featuring opposite-attract doctors, sudden fatherhood, meddling family, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/255787237-the-twin-clause

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

I seriously love this series. It’s romantic comedy gold and it just keeps getting better! And it keeps going too. Turns out the last book wasn’t the last and there is even another one coming after this one. I’m so excited. So in this story! Luke and Preston have been married a year now and you know exactly what the grandparents want now: kids. Mama Ortiz has been on them for months and her strategy has only gotten better. And then we add in Preston’s mom. These poor guys really had no chance. But before decisions are made, they really will have to make time to talk to one another about it. And once they do, well all they really get to do is sit back and watch how the situation truly gets out of hand in a way only their families can. And of course, I loved every minute of it. Luke and Preston have grown a lot and are still growing as they figure out their way to fatherhood with not the best examples. But together, they can do anything. Mama Ortiz and Catherine have teamed up and oh man, you can just imagine what that brings. Then we meet Elena! Luke’s sister is awesome and I love how her and Catherine just get one another. It’s so fascinating. Just another fun and hilarious story in this series. And I can’t wait to flip it back to Max and Jax for what is coming for them next. 

Gray After Dark by Noelle W. Ihli

 

A merciless wilderness. A harrowing attack. A desperate escape.

When a tragic accident sidelines Miley's dreams of Olympic gold, she takes a summer job at a mountain guest lodge.

The Frank Church Wilderness is remote, but it’s the perfect place to train and recover. Local lore about a staffer who died years ago doesn’t scare her. But it should. 

Miley’s plans take a terrifying detour when she’s abducted during a morning run. Held captive in a desolate off-grid cabin, she’ll have to use her athletic prowess, cunning mind, and courage to survive. But as the nightmare at the cabin escalates, Miley is forced to form an unlikely alliance and attempt a risky escape.

Can she outwit her captors and survive the wilderness before it’s too late?

Inspired by true events, Gray After Dark is a pulse-pounding psychological thriller with a finale that will leave you breathless.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204787816-gray-after-dark

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

When Miley decided to spend the summer working at a mountain guest lodge, she thought it would give her time to train and really work on her injured shoulder that she still feels the pain of years later. She also just needs to clear her head when her best friend voices his feelings for her. Something she just wasn’t quite ready to face just yet. Not with the way her headspace has been. But then something terrible happens. When she takes a detour on her run through the trails, she is kidnapped. Trapped in a cabin with two monsters worse than any bears that linger in the woods, Miley is doing everything she can to just survive. She won’t die out here. She refuses. But will they break her before that? This story was insane and kinda of crazy to know it was inspired by true events. One thing I will say, when I started this book, I felt like it was moving pretty slow for me, especially since I’m not a big thriller reader. But you definitely hit a point where you are locked in and next thing you know you are done! Because I literally blinked and realized I hit the end of the book. The suspense was really good and you were rooting for Miley to survive and and be free. A really good story over all!

Rochester Copperheads Book 3: Grief & Glitter by RJ Scott & VL Locey

 

Rochester Copperheads Book 3

Haunted by the past. Fighting for the future. Finding love in between.

Gideon "Taft" Taftwell has spent years outrunning the past—on the ice, in the gym, and behind a carefully built wall of silence. As kids, he and his brothers spent countless hours dreaming about professional hockey and everything that came after. Then one reckless moment changed everything. Ten years later, he's still carrying the guilt of this brother's death and the certainty that his family is right to blame him.

Ryan Vale had dreams of beauty school, movie sets, and making a name for himself in Hollywood. Instead, one bad decision became another, and before he knew it, addiction had stolen years he could never get back. Now sober and rebuilding his life one day at a time, he finds an unexpected purpose working for the Rochester Copperheads, sharpening skates and staying focused on the future rather than the past.

When their paths cross, neither man is looking for love. Taft is haunted by a loss that's shaped every part of his life, while Ryan is fighting every day to become the man he wants to be. Friendship comes first, then trust, and slowly something deeper. But moving forward means confronting old wounds, and both men know that healing is never as simple as letting go.

Grief & Glitter is an emotional MM hockey romance featuring a recovering addict, a hockey player carrying ten years of guilt, slow-burn romance, found family, healing, hope, and two men discovering that forgiveness—especially for themselves—can change everything.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/252256851-grief-glitter

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Taft has been living with the pain and guilt for his brother’s death for the last ten years. It hasn’t gotten easier. Even with hockey being his biggest distraction. And it doesn’t help with the way he is treated around his dad and brother. Even though Taft has been getting the help he needs from therapy, it doesn’t mean his depression is truly gone. But when he meets Ryan and actually takes a chance to get to know him? Well, maybe he can find that bit of happiness he has deprived himself of. Ryan was lost for a while. A recovering addict, he has reached a year of being sober. And while his job at the hockey arena with his dad isn’t terrible, it isn’t what he wants either. But when Taft appears in his life, they begin this friendship. That turns into trust and into so much more. And the best part of it? Ryan can actually be himself around Taft. He’s genderfluid and has been afraid to truly walk around as himself, but Taft gives him the courage to try. Especially when Taft loves all sides of Ryan. And maybe they can heal together and claim a future neither thought they would ever get. I loved this story! Taft and Ryan have such a sweet slow burn romance, that is well worth the wait. They are building this trust between them that both need so much. They become that safe place for one another ass they try to move forward in their loves. I loved their dynamic and how sweet their love story was. Both deserve that and so much more! 

Silvercrest U Book 6: Like a Villain by Willow Dixon

 

Silvercrest U Book 6

Hazen

Just when I think my life can’t get any crazier, I wake up after a night of partying and find out that the person I hooked up isn’t just one of my frat brothers; he’s also our hacker, and my direct subordinate.

I might not remember what happened that night, but Liam does, and I have video proof of everything that went down. After using my proof to blackmail him into hooking up again, I find out that he’s into the same stuff I am, and the more we hook up, the more I crave him.

Liam is the opposite of what I usually go for, but there’s something about his shyness and quiet nature that draws me in. I’ve never wanted to mess around with a guy before, and what starts as a game turns into something real, and my amusement becomes obsession.

Then I find out that someone has been targeting him, and I vow to do everything in my power to keep him safe. Liam is mine, and I will burn the world down to protect him.

If someone wants him, then they’ll have to go through me, first.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/253922226-like-a-villain

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Liam has had a major crush on Hazen for a long time. But telling him? Yeah, never going to happen. He’s nerdy and awkward and knows Hazen is straight. Liam’s the IT guy for their frat and the idea of Hazen ever wanting him just doesn’t feel possible. Until the night they hook up. Well, sorta. He just never expects Hazen to come back for more. And more. It feels too good to be true. And he’s waiting for some sort of catch. And there is one but has nothing to do with Hazen. Turns out, witnessing something you shouldn’t has finally come back for him. Meanwhile, Hazen never thought about hooking up with a guy before but the chemistry between him and Liam is undeniable. And it’s just for Liam. He may have been trying to figure it out at first hookup or two, but after that? Yeah, he knows Liam is his. And when it looks like Liam is in trouble? Well, everyone better watch out. Because no one gets to lay a hand on Liam and not regret it. Can they figure out who is targeting Liam before it’s too late? I love this series. It’s a great dark romance with such interesting characters. I really loved Liam and Hazen and watching their relationship turn into so much more. We also finally get answers to the blackmail scheme that has been a problem since book one. And even when we wrap that up, looks like we have the promise of at least two more books coming our way with some characters we’ve met. Definitely can’t wait for more!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.